(Trance, Tech House) Orinoko - Mama Konda (Remixes) (#3LAN031R2) - 1997, FLAC (tracks), lossless

My current transfer setup:

Stanton T.90.USB
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It sounds pretty good. I don't use the USB A/D function on it, because it the internal converter is not good enough.

I use the integrated RIAA preamp, as it sounds really decent, is low noise/distortion, and usually gives a stable stereo image, and doesn't hype the output with too much gain.

At the moment I am using a Stanton 500 V3 cartidge/stylus, which sounds pretty good, and shipped with the T.90.USB. When it wears out, I will most likely get something a little more high-end. It sounds quite even, but its frequency response drops at 17kHz or so. Honestly, I'm more concerned with how even the frequency response is, as oppossed to how high it goes. Cartridges that track up to 20-22kHz may do so, but how well do they do it? How much 20kHz is actually left on the record after one playing?

ECHO AUDIO MIA:
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I record straight from the T.90's line output into this converter. It's a great sounding converter/soundcard, and perfect for the task. It's capable of true 24 bit, 96kHz recording, has very excellent S/N ratio, a decent clock and excellent analogue paths/buffering pre conversion.

I record at 24/96.

Cubase 5.x
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An industry standard DAW. I usually only use Waves X-Click to remove obvious clicks and pops, making sure that it removes NONE of the music/audio. If the record is in bad enough shape I won't transfer it, unless it's super rare or I love it a lot.

I don't use digital de-noisers, rumble filters etc.. They are useless, and almost certainly remove lots of good stuff from the music. Rumble filters are really just for live applications to prevent resonant feedback below 200Hz or so, and noise is a part of the media format. Think of it as natural, vinyl-based dither!

On the subject of limiting, I do use the Waves L2, as it is an industry standard of sorts, and works well. I DO NOT normalize, or limit heavily. In other words, I use the limiter as a safeguard when pushing the vinyl signal up to 0dB digital, and at most invoke about 1dB of gain reduction MAX when limiting. For more delicate material I will not use any gain reduction when pushing the signal.

It is my opinion that raising the level digitally is better than adding line noise, by trying to boost the output of the cartridge/stylus before the converters. At 24 bit, most phono preamps at nominal/average gain should yield a recorded resolution of about 22 bits.

I try not to obsess over the transfers and let them breathe. I don't use EQ or any other kind of frequency-based, stereo imaging, or dynamics processing. Ocassionally I will balance out the left/right side if they are lop-sided when they shouldn't be. Not every pressing, agrees with every stylus.

I've tried transfers in many ways, with lots of signal chain, but this method seems to get closer to the sound on the records on average, and a really decent RIAA preamp like the one in the T.90 really isn't that hard to make.

After the clicks and pops are gone and the levels come up, I export at 24/96. then use Wavelab 6 to convert to 16/44.1kHz.